Football's Thigpen to Be Featured on ESPN

CONWAY, S.C. -- The pre-eminent sports broadcasting company will run a series of stories on quarterback Tyler Thigpen's journey to the National Football League, starting Wednesday, May 9 at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN2.

Thigpen is scheduled to be on at approximately 11:30 a.m. today with head coach David Bennett on ESPN's "First Take". Thigpen has been requested for an appearance on another ESPN2 program, "The Hot List", on Friday.

Thigpen was the first player in Big South history drafted by the top professional league after being picked by the Minnesota Vikings with the seventh pick in the seventh round (selection 217 overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft, Apr. 29. He recently attended the team's Rookie Camp in Minneapolis this past weekend, May 4-6.

Thigpen, who was also the Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Year and finished seventh in the balloting for the Walter Payton Award, ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision with 329.3 ypg of total offense, while being fourth nationally with 274.7 passing yards per game after leading Coastal to its third consecutive Big South title and first-ever berth in the NCAA Division I Football Championships. The first-ever Big South player to be nominated for the Payton Award and a 2006 American Football Coaches Association All-American and Associated Press First Team All-American, he set nine Conference season records in 2006 in total offense (3,952), total offense per game (329.3), passing yards (3,296), touchdown passes (29), passing yards per game (274.7), passing efficiency (167.42), 300-yard passing games (5), 300-total yard games (9) and rushing yards by a quarterback (656). He was named Player of the Week four times this season and became the first Big South quarterback to rush for more than 600 yards in a season, with his 656 ranking fourth overall in league rushing, while adding five touchdowns. His 3,296 passing yards also made him the first quarterback ever to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a single season. He also ranks second all-time in the Big South in total offense with 8,236 yards, while also helping CCU to a 34-11 (30-8 as a starter) during his four years with the Chanticleers.